one piece Elbaf Arc is deeply related to the gods that exist in the world. one piece world. This is made clear to us from the beginning of the arc. one piece In 1138, the legend of Harley was first revealed to us. As more chapters passed, Eiichiro Oda revealed to us different eras of the world of One Piece, and special importance was given to certain gods, such as the sun god Nika.
one piece Elbaf Arc also witnessed the descent of the demon god Nerona Imu in episode 1179 on April 5, 2026, and currently confirmed the latest work, 'Another God of the Void Century'. one piece Chapter 1188, July 12, 2026. This god is none other than the God of the Forest, and his powers link him directly to Imu himself, the King of the World.
One Piece Chapter 1188 officially announces the return of the forest god through Nero and Imu.
July 12, 2026, one piece Chapter 1188 showed some of Nerona Imu's abilities after she defeated Loki in battle and began dealing with Luffy instead. During the battle with Immu, Luffy immediately utilized Gear 5, and to the surprise of fans, Luffy did not land a single hit. All of his powerful strikes, even those coated in the colors of Haki's ultimate form, the Great King, were very easily blocked and effectively countered by Nero or Imu. Luffy takes some pretty powerful attacks, but isn't defeated until the end of the chapter.
“What happened? I was able to hit earlier!” — Monkey D. Luffy, confused by Imu's sudden power, One Piece Chapter 1188
To defeat Luffy, Imu utilized Vohu, the Sword of Nothingness, which possessed tremendous power that no one could understand. Immu used the power of Bohu and immediately began to suck the life out of the entire forest and wither it away. Immediately all life was eliminated from across the branches of the Adam Tree, and moments later, at the end of Chapter 1188, Imu used this blade to strike down Monkey D. Luffy, the current sun god of the world, Nika.
Imu: Sword of Nothingness: Vohu!
Luffy: What? The forest has dried up!
Imu: The vision is much clearer now.
Luffy: Same here!
— Imu uses Vohu to defeat Luffy. One Piece Episode 1188
A small detail may have gone under the radar of some fans, but it's interesting to note that Nerona Imu was able to suck the life out of the world's forests. Similarly, when Imu arrived at Elbaf one piece In Chapter 1179, April 5, 2026, published in the 19th issue of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump, we all clearly see that the forest around Imu has begun to take on a life of its own. But this life was not given to any other object. This suggests a deep connection between Nero or Imu and the forest. When directly connected to Harley's text, which was officially released in One Piece Chapter 1138 on February 3, 2025, it becomes a firm proposition that Nero and Imu are the same as the forest gods revealed in the Void Century and known to have existed in the Second World.
Why the Forest God Stands as a Powerful God at the Top of the World Government
A forest god standing atop the world government really makes sense. To understand why, fans need only look at Harley's text. Harley's book states that the Second World began as a breath of nothingness. Connecting this with One Piece Chapter 1188, we can clearly see that Imu utilizes the same power when using Blade of Nothingness: Bohu. The terminology used for 'Nothingness' is the same in the Harley text and Imu's attack. The fact that Imu's Sword of Nothingness withers the entire forest suggests that he has a monopoly over the forest and all life in general. This may also explain why Imu can use various covenants, such as the Paladin and the Five Elders, to give eternal life to those who follow him.
“There was breath in nothingness. The forest god tamed the devil, and the sun spread the fires of war. The half-moon ones dreamed. The moon ones dreamed. The men killed the sun and became gods, and the sea god raised the storm. And they will never meet again.” — First mention of the forest god in Harley text, Chapter 1138 of One Piece
At the same time, Harley says in The Second World that the God of the Forest sent a demon. This also matches perfectly with Nerona Imu. Because through his abilities, he can send five elders and a paladin. Everyone is repeatedly called a devil. In Chapter 1187 of One Piece, Issue 32 of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump, which was officially released on July 5, 2026, Roronoa Zoro officially calls Elbaf's world government warrior group “Samma”, further solidifying the fact that Imu stands at the top of the world government as the world's forest god. The Forest God is clearly not an ally of the Sun God, and the perfect match for this God in the current Void Century is none other than Imu himself.
“You are one of the three demons. You are the one who ruined an old friend’s feast. My companion is on his way to town, and it seems your companion is dead and will not return.” — Zoro calls Imu and his knights devils. One Piece Episode 1187
One Piece Will Reveal More Gods After Elbaf Arc
With founder Eiichiro Oda one pieceIt is implied that Nero or Imu is the forest god of the Void Century, and fans are eagerly awaiting further revelations of the god after the events of the Elbaf arc. Now the sun god Nika has already been revealed to us along with the Elbaf god of war, Loki. Rain God Zaza was also teased. one piece Chapter 1182 of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump No. 24, May 10, 2026, and Nero or Imu may be the world's forest god. That leaves an Earth god whose identity remains unidentified.
At the same time, other characters existed in the world. one piece The Infernal Serpent who collaborated with the Earth God long ago has not yet been revealed. Eiichiro Oda will likely shed some light on these individuals in the events following the Elbaf arc, and we're really looking forward to seeing what the author of the series comes up with. Right now all our focus is on the climax of Elbaf. Elbaf will once again face off against Nika, the sun god, and Nerona Imu, king of the world and potential forest god. Although the former has already been defeated, fans are eagerly awaiting to see Luffy rise to his feet once again and, most importantly, power up even further to truly unleash the power of the sun god Nika. The next chapter of One Piece will be an exciting journey, and I can't wait to see what happens next in the story.
All new manga chapters of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece are available to read via MANGA Plus and Viz Media.
